Spring Visitors

Even the wildlife outside my window is happy it's Spring!

"balancing act"

"pensive"

"can't take just one"

(to quote a famous potato chip commercial)

I've heard "Chex Mix" makes friends (even when it's gone stale)! ;)

HAPPY WEEKEND!

Cape Cod Bay in the Spring

What a GORGEOUS day we had today... this sunny Spring day felt more like summer!

When I visited this bayside beach today, I was greeted by some sidewalk-chalk art! Someone (or some people) must have used several boxes of chalk to create this huge spring masterpiece in the parking lot.

It's hard to tell from my photos, but it spelled out "We Love Spring"!

And the gulls love this spring weather, too!

I swoon whenever I see beautiful cedar-clad beach houses like these.

It was nice having the beach to myself for a short time, because before you know it the summer visitors will return and this place will be hoppin'!

If you had a dollar for every street name that started with the word "CAPT" on Cape Cod, you'd be very rich indeed! Happy Friday!

Olde Cape Cod

It's such fun transforming my photos of Cape Cod into sepia tone prints... much like the old postcards of long ago!

A bayside beach on a hot sunny day.

The Cape Cinema in Dennis, Ma.

Another bayside beach at suppertime (when everyone has gone for their fish and chips)!

The beach buoys. ;)

Happy Monday!

I went to Paris (on Cape Cod)!

Baguettes made fresh early this morning... by a French baker (from France!)... right here on Cape Cod!

One of my most favorite spots on all of the Cape is the PB Boulangerie in Wellfleet. I've been there on numerous occasions, but this is the first time I've revisited since they reopened for the season (after their very brief winter holiday).

PB Boulangerie is part bakery, part authentic French bistro. The owner is from France and prior to opening PB, he worked at the Wynn in Las Vegas (among other places here and abroad). His resume is AMAZING, as are his pastries and breads. I've yet to eat at the bistro, but let me tell you, this place is PACKED once the season starts going. The locals will queue up here at the door in a line which extends to the parking lot when it's busy (which is 99% of the time). The breads here are nothing short of phenomenal. What's even more... the owner frequently comes out from the kitchen to greet the customers with his cheerful smile and words of gratitude.

(Notice the crushed clamshells under the cafe tables and chairs -- a very popular sight here on the Cape.)

And speak of knowing where your produce comes from... PB even has their very own herb garden right outside the bistro! Remember... it's still winter here on the Cape, and nothing save a few crocus have opened so far. Give it a couple of months and this herb garden will be blossoming.

Out front we were greeted to a nice warm fire in their fire pit (it was overcast and quite nippy this morning, as this bistro is not far from the water). Gotta love the Vespa, too. ;)

And this was my treat... a tart de citron! Yes... the meringue really had that greenish cast (lime?... or perhaps a little pun since it's so close to St. Patrick's Day?). This tart had the most scrumptious REAL lemon filling, unlike any lemon tart or pie I've ever tasted.

If you're ever in Wellfleet (or anywhere near it), you should visit: PB Boulangerie!

sunshiney yellow

I'm really pushing SPRING with this post, as we don't even have any dandelions in the yard yet... so I've taken some yellow photos from my personal archives to show you! ;)

This golden-yellow codfish (or "Cape" cod.... pun-pun!) is in the window of the Brewster General Store, along with the other wonderful treasures which are always in their front windows.

The Crosby Mansion is also in Brewster... one of my favorite antique buildings to photograph (it's painted in a lovely period butter-yellow color).

Forsythia which will be open any day now.

Creamy lemony iris will be out before too long.

I found a sweet ivory painted tin heart at the craft store yesterday... I just had to buy it! When I took it home, I added a length of antique yellow velvet trim and a vintage silk millinery sprig. Voila! I photographed it on an antique yellow painted dresser which I've had my entire life (literally! it was an antique dresser my parents bought for my nursery when I was a baby)!

I also whipped up some vintage bottle stopper paperweights with my antique velvet stash... this one used a stunning yellow glass stopper (I have several of them listed in my etsy shop).

What sunshiney yellow things do you have that make you happy?

Return to SPRING!

With the return of SPRING (yeah!), I've decided to return to my blogging roots! I even changed my blog header to reflect this beautiful place I'm fortunate to call home.

I started blogging when my now second-grader was a baby... my how times flies. I blogged alot about Cape Cod, with its gorgeous beaches and lovely shops, as well as other lovely spots in Massachusetts.

I thought now that since I'm truly enjoying photography, I'd add more Cape Cod-dy type posts to my blog (and New England posts in general). (The above bridge is in Plymouth, MA... located a hop,skip & a jump from the Mayflower II.)

I can never resist snapping photos of weathered beach fences... and when they have old buoys on them, that much better!

Before you know it, the beach roses will be returning.

And if I'm fortunate enough, I'll snag the blackberries in my yard before the birds get them this year!

Happy Monday!

vintage finds

Victorian silk millinery ribbons...

my eyes popped when I spotted more bags of gorgeous antique trims at one of my favorite treasure haunts!

Vintage and antique patriotic trims...

Unused velvet millinery sprigs...

and a bunch of vintage silk bowties! I've seen ladies use these old bowties and attach them to headbands for little girls - they look so cute!

These are all in my etsy shop. I have even more treasures which I haven't photographed or listed yet, so stay tuned. I'm also creating more jewelry for the art gallery here on Cape Cod which sells my creations. I'll photograph some of those for you to see as well, when I can take some time from creating and going outside to do some SPRING gardening!

Happy Sunday!

repurposing little bits and scraps

While tidying up my vintage scraps, laces and trims, I decided some pieces were the perfect size for little needle cases. I set out to work this morning and created two little cuties for my etsy shop.

Little projects such as these are a fabulous way to use up the leftover special vintage and antique linens (which otherwise you'd feel guilty tossing). Actually, many needlecases and pincushions of long ago were also made of vintage scraps back then as well.

Four black felt pages inside each case should be plenty to store a seamstress's needles and pins. (They are both currently listed in my shop.)

While I had out my camera... and while I had out some of my favorite trims... I just couldn't help but snap a quick photo of these laces! ;)

Happy Thursday!